CIF partnership advances gospel in northern Illinois

Every little challenge, every big challenge we had, God just opened the doors every time there was going to be a cost overrun that happens in construction.
Executive pastor Rich Graham

With locations in Freeport and Winnebago, Illinois, the people of Park Hills Church are living out their gospel vision while expanding and updating facilities in partnership with Christian Investors Financial (CIF).

A CIF capital campaign and church loan helped with improvements at the larger church campus in Freeport, but the most dramatic change is in Winnebago, which more than tripled the size of its building, adding almost 7,000 square-feet of space.

A heart for Winnebago

Several years ago, growing numbers at Park Hills in Freeport prompted the church to establish a small group of about 25 in Winnebago with the intention to plant another Evangelical Free church, Executive Pastor Rich Graham explains.

That group quickly outgrew its rental space in a community center and started looking for larger places to meet. Not coincidentally, Graham and others had a connection with people at the Winnebago Evangelical Congregational Church. They were winding down their ministry, but the group had a small building and land.

Graham had served there years earlier as an intern. “The average age, I think I heard, was in the 70s, and one of the guys in his 60s said he was technically the youth group.”

Park Hills in Freeport had the people, and they shepherded that space together to become Park Hills East, he said, which would later be called the Park Hills Winnebago campus.

It wasn’t long before the newly combined group ran into the same problem that the original congregational church did in the 1980s. They were out of space for ministry.

Church in Freeport turns again to CIF

A new capital campaign and church loan would be needed and began with CIF in 2024. Park Hills in Freeport had a solid history with CIF with a previous campaign and loan for a 500-seat expansion there, so leaders at the church decided to engage with them again.

“They helped us with a capital campaign (and loan) which we had just about paid off in 2023, which was fantastic,” said Graham.

Park Hills Freeport Campus began in the 1970s and has always been focused on biblical preaching and teaching and making disciples. “We don’t shy away from any of the tough passages that are out there,” said Graham. “That’s kind of what we’ve been known for.”

The Freeport church has spent considerable time helping other churches to become disciple makers and find pastors, sharing their resources, he explained. Their generosity for the Winnebago expansion was strong.

Graham said some at Freeport have already exceeded their original fund pledges by more than 50%, which they had seen before with the previous project. The congregation was comfortable with the campaign and committed to paying back any loans.

Learn more about Church Loans

Loans from CIF are a tool

He said aversion to any debt can stop ministries from moving forward as substantial cash is needed to do projects.

“The reality is, you’d never be able to pull the kind of money together we would need, not from our area. It would take years and years, and your opportunity may be gone at that point,” said Graham. “Plus, when the building keeps getting about 10% more expensive every year … you’re always behind.”

Park Hills was moving forward. At Winnebago, a new worship center was constructed and audio, visual and lighting were updated. They also added children and youth spaces, offices, community meeting rooms and new parking.

At the Freeport campus, bathrooms were renovated, as was a family worship space and children’s lobby. Work was also performed on the roof, gym and the south parking lot. Total project costs were about $3.5 million, with a loan of just under $2.5 million.

God paved a path through difficulties

Timing for major construction is critical, and multiple problems along the way tested people’s faith at Park Hills, Graham explained. When costs came in higher for some items at Freeport, the church was able to reduce costs for others.

Zoning issues and permitting looked as if it would delay the Winnebago project for months, Graham said. If the project couldn’t happen here, they would have to move somewhere else, but land costs were too high for that option.

The ground at Winnebago had heavy clay deposits, so a stronger foundation was needed. Getting utilities in would be delayed by six weeks, but through meetings and God moving, work was underway within a week.

“Everybody I talked to in the building trades said this never happens,” said Graham. Delays in one part could mess up schedules for another, but God was faithful. “Every little challenge, every big challenge we had, God just opened the doors every time there was going to be a cost overrun that happens in construction.”

Park Hills Church Winnebago campus in Illinois

Work to do, all around

Graham found himself repeating a phrase time and again. “Okay, here’s what happened. I’m excited to see what God’s going to do to fix this problem.”

Just 51 weeks after the congregation approved the projects and the dollars were available, the jobs were done – two weeks early.

“That’s amazing. And all along the way, CIF had everything we needed for the financing and guidance to put everything together,” said Graham.

Growth and gratitude
The Winnebago campus has two pastors to help grow the ministry there and the number of attendees is up by 25-40% each week.

The response there was one of tears and gratitude. “It’s like, they had been standing on the grassy field wondering when the church was ever going to be built. And now they are sitting in a chair and listening to the Word of God in that exact spot. So, it was a special time.”

With a radio station and a heart to expand their ministries, Park Hills has a gospel vision for the farming areas and smaller towns across the region. Their partnership with CIF takes that commitment to the national level.

“Every dollar we pay back to CIF is going to be working to accomplish Kingdom purposes,” Graham said in a financial update to the congregation. “That excites me, because that organization is going to help us accomplish our mission, and we’re going to be able to help other churches accomplish their mission as God leads.”

Click to learn more about our Kingdom expansion focus of CIF, and how you and your church can play a part.